1953 Map of Rolling Pin Ranch

About this map

Pumpkin Buttes dominate the northeastern landscape of this Campbell County region, serving as prominent landmarks for the scattered ranching operations of the early 1950s. The United States Atomic Energy Commission's interest in this territory is noted in the margins, reflecting the era's focus on mineral exploration in the Powder River Basin. Settled life centers on the Rolling Pin Ranch and Pumpkin Butte Ranch, which are connected by a network of unimproved roads and trails that follow the natural drainage patterns of the high plains. Water management in this arid environment is evidenced by numerous windmills and a Water Tank strategically placed across the terrain. Seasonal watercourses like Dry Willow Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Collins Draw carve through the landscape, defining the boundaries of grazing lands and the locations of early 20th-century homesteads.